


Intervention

by heartheldhostage



Series: Intervention [1]
Category: Haven - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 19:39:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1995372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartheldhostage/pseuds/heartheldhostage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I think we just had an intervention,” Nathan said...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intervention

“I have no idea what to do, Dwight. I really miss Claire right now,” Audrey sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger.

“I'm not even sure Claire could get through to those stubborn asses,” Dwight said. “You're the only one I've ever seen come close to reasoning with either of them...except for them when they aren't trying to kill each other.” Dwight raised his hand to get the bartender's attention for another round. “Think it would help if we locked them together in a room for about a week? I know a place that would be perfect,” he grinned.

Dwight had been teasing, but Audrey's head jerked up. She stared at him as the plan began to form in her head. “Dwight, you're a fucking genius,” she smiled. “How soon can you get an isolated place ready?” she asked and began to sketch the outline of her plan for him.

“You're not serious?” He noticed her determined expression as she leaned on both arms and held his stare. “Okay, okay. If you really want to do this, you're going to have to trust me completely.”

“You know I do, Dwight.”

“No, I mean you have to have _complete_ and _total_ trust in me, with your life and theirs. This has to look as real as possible or it will not work. I'm going to have to call in a few favors from people you don't even know...people you wouldn't trust if you _did_ know them. You have to trust me enough that I trust them to get this done and keep you and the boys safe.”

“I trust you, Dwight. You've never let us down before. You've always gone above and beyond the call of duty. I have no reason at all not to trust you with this. You know what I have in mind. I'll let you take it from here,” she said before she downed her drink. She got up to leave, but turned and said, “Thank you for doing this, Dwight. It's above and beyond the call again.”

Dwight shrugged his shoulders. “I figure it's another cleaning job. Just this time we're trying to clean two stubborn jackasses. If those two can't get their act together, this town fucked. Do you want a head's up?”

She shook her head. “As real as possible, right?”

 

“No,” Nathan said sharply, slamming the papers he was holding down onto his desk.

“Nathan, it's been three months. You two are going to have to talk this out sooner or later,” Audrey said.

“No, Audrey, we're not. I have nothing to say to him, and he has nothing to say that I want to hear.”

“So it doesn't matter in the least to you that he saved hundreds of lives or that I'm the one responsible?”

Nathan looked at her sharply. “How exactly are you responsible for Duke Crocker shooting a kid?”

“I'm responsible because I couldn't talk the kid down, Nathan. I'm responsible because Duke was there to protect me. The kid had a chest full of explosives and a gymnasium full of hostages, including me. I couldn't talk him down. That's what I do, but I couldn't talk this kid down.”

Nathan stood up to leave. She walked around and blocked his path, getting in his face so he couldn't walk away. “The boy had snapped, Nathan. He would have killed us all  then and there if Duke hadn't taken the shot. Don't tell me you don't know that, and don't tell me you wouldn't have done it yourself if you'd had a better vantage.” She was the one snapping now, tired of having this conversation daily.

She rubbed her forehead and a thought occurred to her. “Do you feel guilty? Is that it, Nathan? Do you feel guilty that you didn't have a shot so Duke had no choice? Answer me!”

Nathan moved her aside as gently as he could and walked to the door of the office. “It doesn't matter what I feel. Duke killed that kid. He was only seventeen, and Duke killed him. The kid wasn't even Troubled, just confused and depressed. Duke didn't even have a reason to be there, but he was, and he killed that kid.” Nathan walked out of the office.

Audrey stared at the door where Nathan had been. She was startled when her phone rang. “Parker!” she snapped.

“Change of plans,” Dwight said calmly, ignoring her tone. He'd expected it. He was sitting outside the station and had seen the way Nathan had looked as he'd walked out of the building. “Got reliable info that Crocker is about to pull out. He's already being dealt with as we speak.”

Audrey walked across the office and closed the door for privacy. “It's supposed to be me Dwight. Knowing, or at least thinking, I'm in danger is supposed to make them work together.”

“I know, Audrey, but we can't risk Duke getting out of here or the whole plan is fucked anyway. I'll work it out. Just act as if it's business as usual.” Dwight hung up.

“Business as usual. Right,” Audrey said to the empty office.

 

Duke was ready to go. He loved leaving in the dark after sunset. It always made him feel like he was racing the sun to his destination. Sometimes he even felt like he'd won.

He was tired of waiting around for Nathan to come to his senses. He was tired of trying to earn the trust and friendship of a man who hated him. Nathan would never see him as he is, only as he _had been_. Nathan would never fully understand that all that Duke _had been_ was just an effort to get Nathan to see him at all.

It hurt like hell that Nathan acted as if Duke had wanted to kill that kid. If that had been true, Duke would have taken the shot a hell of a lot sooner. He kept hoping Audrey could get through to the kid, but she couldn't. He was too far gone.

So now, Duke was doing what he'd always done - getting out. He knew he'd be back, probably sooner than he wanted to be. He wasn't about to leave Nathan and Audrey to the wolves for long. He just needed a break. He was having a tough time dealing with what had happened, and knowing how Nathan felt only made things that much worse.

He was about to untie the Cape Rouge when he felt a sting in his chest. He looked down, vision already blurring, and saw the dart that had impaled him. He reached for it just as he collapsed onto the deck.

Two masked men boarded the Rouge. They tied Duke's hands behind his back, tied his feet together, blindfolded him, and carried him to a black van parked just out of sight. They dumped him unceremoniously in the corner and climbed in.

As a third man drove the van away from the dock, one of the masked men dialed his phone. “We have the package. We're on our way.” He listened and disconnected the call. “Change of plans. One more package to pick up.”

On the floor of the van, Duke was flitting in and out of consciousness. The second masked man rolled Duke onto his stomach and sat close enough to ensure that Duke wouldn't give them any problems.

 

Nathan got out of the shower. He always showered in cold water, but right now he really wished he could feel it. He needed to cool off after yet another argument with Audrey about Duke.

Nathan had been beyond angry with Duke after the shooting. He'd even arrested Duke on a murder charge he fully intended to follow through with, but the DA had insisted that it would be a waste of time and money. No jury would convict even Duke Crocker in this case. He'd saved too many students' lives by shooting that kid.

It angered Nathan beyond anything he'd ever felt to unlock that cell and tell Duke Crocker he was free to go. He hadn't spoken to the man since, and never intended to again. Duke was a murderer, and Nathan wanted nothing to do with him.

Then Audrey had to ask him that stupid question today. _Do you feel guilty_? What kind of question was that anyway? Of course he felt guilty. He hadn't gotten there in time to stop his partner from going into that gym or to go in with her.

He didn't feel guilty about Duke though. Duke was a civilian and had no right or reason to be there. What he did was wrong. He should have stayed out of it. Even if Nathan hadn't had a clear shot, another cop would have.

His anger had nothing to do with the fact that he was terrified that Duke would become numb to killing, or worse yet excited by it like his father had been. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was afraid the Crocker Curse might have influenced Duke's decision to fire. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the man who was once his best friend now had to carry the burden of killing a man for the rest of his life because Nathan hadn't gotten there in time.

Damn Audrey for asking him that.

He quickly finished drying himself and threw on a pair of sweat pants. He needed a drink. Hell, he needed two. It was going to be a long night.

That was the last thing Nathan thought before the dart was fired through the open window. Two masked men came into Nathan's bathroom. They tied his hands behind his back, tied his feet together, blindfolded him, and carried him to a black van parked nearby. They threw him into the van beside Duke.

A third man drove them away from Nathan's house as one of the masked men dialed his phone. “We've got both packages.” The van sped away from Haven.

 

“How long until they come to?” Audrey asked.

“Shouldn't be much longer now,” Dwight answered as they watched Duke and Nathan on the monitor. They could see the entire room the men were lying in. Dwight's guy had installed cameras and microphones that would not be easily discovered by the unwilling occupants.

“They're going to be pissed to discover that they're tied together,” she snickered.

Duke's hands were tied in front of him. Nathan's hands were tied in front of him. Their tied hands were then tied together. Even their feet and legs were tied together. They would be able to remove the blindfolds. But that was all. They were finally face to face. No escape. No running.

Dwight grinned. “This fight is going to be better than seeing WWE live,” he said as he stretched in his chair. “Care to place any wagers?”

“Ha! Yeah, I put twenty bucks on me once I'm in there,” she laughed. She sobered a bit and said, “I hope this didn't put you out too much, Dwight. I know you owe a couple of favors now because of it.”

“Don't worry about that. It's for a good cause. I just hope this actually works.”

“It'll work,” she said turning back to the monitor, “it has too. Otherwise, I'm going to have to shoot them both.”

Dwight tried to hide his grin. “Already had that done for you, but I guess you meant with actual bullets. Just give me a head's up before you do, okay?”

Audrey leaned over and kissed Dwight on the cheek. “Of course.”

Dwight pointed toward the monitor to hide the fact that he was blushing. “They're starting to come around.”

They both sat up straighter in their chairs. Audrey reached into her bag and pulled out a box. She opened it and offered some of the contents to Dwight.

“Seriously? You brought popcorn?” he smirked as he reached for some.

“Fight of the century? Damn right, I did.”

 

Duke moaned as he began to wake. He tried to rub his eyes and discovered that his hands were bound. “What the hell?”

“Crocker?” Nathan tried to roll over and discovered he was bound to something. _No! No fucking way!_ he thought. He took a deep breath and realized that he was indeed tied to another person. “Tell me that's not you, Duke,” he demanded.

“ _Nate_? Aw fuck!” Duke exclaimed. “Of all the people in this world to wake up tied to! What the hell have you gotten us into this time?”

“ _Me_?” Nathan tried jerking away from Duke but the action only brought Duke closer. “You're the one always finding trouble!”

“Yeah. Whatever. Be still a minute, would you?” Duke tried to reach up to his eyes, but, of course, because it was Duke asking, Nathan fought against him. “Damn it, Nate. Be still a minute.”

Nathan finally stilled. Duke reached up and managed to remove his blindfold. He then reached over and carefully removed Nathan's. Both men shook their heads to clear their vision.

The overhead light was on and was sufficient to see their surroundings. They looked around and studied their situation.

They were in a 12X12 foot windowless room. There were two single beds, a small table, two chairs, and a stack of blankets on a shelf by the table. There were two doors in the wall near their feet. None of that did them any good because they were tied together so efficiently that they may as well have been wrapped together as one mummy.

“Why they hell are we tied together on the floor if they've got beds in here for us?” Nathan growled.

“Do I look like I know, Nate? Maybe they want to sleep here tonight and wake to my handsome face in the morning.” Duke rolled his eyes.

One of the doors opened. A man dressed in black from head to toe, including ski mask and gloves, said in an obviously altered voice,” When you get yourselves seated at the table or on one of the beds, I'll bring you some food and drink.”

“How the hell are we supposed to do that when we're trussed up like animals here?” Duke asked.

“Figure it out,” the man said and left.

Duke and Nathan stared at each other. “Hope you're not starving,” Nathan said.

 

Audrey and Dwight laughed as they watched Nathan and Duke struggle, mostly against each other, to get themselves on the nearest bed. Audrey wiped tears from her eyes as the two fell to the floor yet again.

“You should have let me bind their arms, too. They couldn't have gotten the blindfolds off then and Duke would have an easier time getting them on the bed,” Dwight said.

“Nathan would be entirely dependent on Duke then. They've never had any real problem working together when one or the other was compromised. They have to learn to do it when they're on equal footing. This is as equal as we can get them.

“Damn!” Audrey exclaimed as they watched Nathan headbutt Duke. She laughed until she nearly fell out of her chair.

“Do you realize how pissed they are going to be at us when this is over?” Dwight asked as he tried to get his laughter under control.

“Yep. They'll get over it. Then they'll thank us,” she answered, still laughing at the boys' antics.

 

_“This way,” Nathan said._

_“How the hell would you know, Nathan? You can't feel your own legs, much_ _less_

 _mine. I'm not_ _about to suffer broken bones because of your damned stubbornness.”_

_“Would you just shut the hell up already and do what I said?”_

 

“Oh, here we go. Looks like Duke has had enough,” Dwight said.

Duke headbutted Nathan this time. Nathan's blood splattered on Duke's face. As his eyes turned silver, Duke heaved and dragged himself and Nathan up onto the bed.

As Nathan and Duke collapsed back against the wall, a voice from behind Audrey and Dwight asked, “Does that count, boss?”

“It'll do for a start,” Dwight answered through laughter. “Go ahead and feed them.”

 

“Damn it Duke! Why didn't you break these fucking ropes while you still had the strength?” Nathan snapped.

“Because it would have hurt you, you damned moron!” Duke snapped back.

Nathan stared at Duke. “That's never stopped you from doing anything before.” He saw a brief flash of pain appear in Duke's eyes, gone as quickly as he noticed it.

“Yeah, Nate, that's my entire _raison d'etre_ , hurting you,” Duke said quietly.

The door opened and two men came in, both dressed the same as the last one that entered. They didn't speak a word as one of them cut the ropes around their bound legs, and the other moved the table in front of Nathan and Duke.

A third man entered the room with a tray of food and placed it on the table.

As they sat up, Duke raised his and Nathan's arms, indicating the ropes still there. “It would be easier to eat without our hands tied together.”

“Yeah, it probably would,” the third man said as he pushed the table up to the men.

All three of their captors left the room.

 

“Did you see that?” Audrey asked Dwight, “that little exchange?”

“Yeah, I saw it, but I have no idea what's behind it.”

“Neither do I, but it happens more than either one will admit. This time it was Duke hurting. I've seen both of them hurt over remarks like that, and neither one will tell me why.”

“Maybe this intervention will help with more than just that shooting,” Dwight suggested softly.

“Maybe so,” Audrey sighed.

It wasn't long before the two voyeurs were laughing hysterically again as Nathan and Duke tried to eat and drink. It was laughably and sadly pathetic that it took twenty minutes for them to come to an arrangement by which they would take turns.

Audrey gathered her things to leave after the boys had eaten and leaned back against the wall.

“You sure you don't want to watch this next part? It's sure to be even more fun. I could tell my guys to leave their underwear on.” Dwight smirked.

“Not a chance. That is something they really wouldn't forgive me for. Besides, I have to start spreading it around that Nathan is sick so no one starts looking for him,” she chuckled. “You guys have fun though.”

She left and Dwight turned to his three army buddies. “This is the real reason I needed you guys. It's time for Laverne and Shirley in there to get a shower.”

“You have no idea how much you owe us, Hendrickson,” one of the guys grinned. “I'd consider it a freebie if we got to torture them.”

Dwight laughed, “Trust me, this is more torture for them than anything you did to anybody in Afghanistan.”

Another of the men said, “Dwight, I get how to handle Crocker, but how are we supposed to handle Wournos if he gets out of line in there?”

“Easy,” Dwight said. “Just threaten Crocker. Wournos will fall right back in line then.”

“Didn't you say these two hate each other?”

“It's a fine line between love and hate,” Dwight said somberly, “and these guys are living proof of it.”

“I still can't believe we're fucking doing this,” the first guy said before he attached the voice modifier to his throat and donned his ski mask.

All three men were standing and ready to get their captives showered.

“Never quite saw myself doing something like this, either,” Dwight grinned.

 

The door opened and all three men walked in. Duke and Nathan sat up straighter. One man walked to the second door and opened it. Another man said, “Get up.”

As if of one mind, Nathan and Duke both remained still and stared at the man towering over them.

The man reached down and popped Duke upside the head. “Get up now or you can sleep in each other's filth tonight. I'll be in my nice clean bed so it doesn't really matter to me what you choose.”

The guys looked at each other, then worked together to get on their feet. The man walked them to the open door. The other man turned on the light to reveal a bathroom.

It was an unconventional bathroom, to say the least. Two toilets were installed fairly close together. A double sink with two tubes of toothpaste and two toothbrushes on the counter was mounted to the wall a few feet away from the toilets. There was no shower stall or tub. The center of the floor held a drain, and a shower head was suspended from the ceiling.

“Strip your pants off,” the first man ordered.

“Wait just a damn minute here. You owe me dinner and a movie first, bitch.” Duke could almost swear there was now a grin behind the mask, and not a sarcastic one either.

The first man, Duke had guessed he was the leader since he was the only one who ever spoke, said, “You just had your dinner, Crocker, and if you had a decent drive-in in this town, I might be inclined to give your offer more consideration.”

The other two masked men laughed.

“As it is, you're stuck with us while you take care of whatever business you have, and since none of us trusts either of you not to jump us, you're going to have to be content with being restrained. Now strip your pants so we can get your legs restrained again before we release your hands. Now,” he said as he pulled a knife from his jacket.

Nathan swore under his breath as Duke helped him remove his and Duke's pants. “Why the hell are you cooperating with these assholes, Duke?” he whispered.

“So I don't have your fucking death on my hands, too,” Duke growled.

Two of the men walked over and manhandled Duke and Nathan until they were standing side by side. They placed Duke and Nathan in ankle shackles. The two sets of shackles were welded together instead of to cuffs. One of them produced a knife and cut the rope around their wrists. The rope was immediately replaced with handcuffs. Duke's left hand was bound to Nathan's right hand. When the men were done restraining them again, Duke and Nathan couldn't move more than a foot apart.

“Shower gets turned on in three minutes. Do what you need to do now.” The three men stepped outside the room but left the door open.

By the time one of them reached in and turned on the shower, Nathan and Duke were already under the shower head.

 

Dwight couldn't help laughing at them as they showered. This place had an unbelievable 200 gallon water heater. Though Dwight's buddies had already taken quick showers, there was plenty of hot water left. Duke and Nathan kept fighting and arguing over every little thing...how to best clean their backs, who's turn it was to stand directly under the water, even the proper way to shampoo hair. They ended up on the floor twice...once when one reached too far and their balance was lost and once when Nathan slugged Duke for an assumed grope when Duke was only washing Nathan's back. By the time they had completely washed and rinsed, the water was nearly cold. It was almost as bad when they were drying off.

Dwight's buddies had unshackled their ankles to let them get clean underwear on, but replaced the shackles afterward. They walked them back to the main room and left them there. The blankets were on the shelf in case they got cold. Now it was showtime. _How would they react to having to sleep in the same bed?_ Dwight wondered.

 

“Fuck,” Nathan said as his eyes moved from their shackles to the bed and back.

“Not a chance, buddy. I still haven't gotten my movie,” Duke snarked and started them moving toward the nearest bed.

“Wait,” Nathan said, “we need to get a blanket.”

“Are you kidding me? It's too freaking hot in here for a blanket.”

“I'd rather burn up under a blanket than sleep half-naked with you.”

“Hmph! Never used to bother you. Besides, you can't feel it anyway.”

“That's not even the point.”

“What, Nate, you're afraid I'm going to cop a feel? How do you know I haven't just snuck into your bedroom on many nights and taken you in your sleep.”

Nathan was shocked. He stuttered, “You...you didn't...no, I would have...no... I don't believe...”

“Relax, Nate, once you said it was over, it was over. I wouldn't, I couldn't do something like that to you. Not to anyone, but especially not to you.”

Duke turned them around and headed them toward the shelf to get blankets before they went to bed.

Once they had covered up and gotten still, the overhead light went out. They laid there in the dark for the longest time, back to back with a blanket over their lower bodies.

“I would never do that to you, Nate. Never.”

Nathan turned over and put his arm across Duke. “I know.” He pulled Duke closer back against him, and they went to sleep.

 

Dwight had expected them to refuse to talk once they were in the bed. He reached over and flipped the switch that controlled the light in there. He was suddenly very pleased that his buddy had had the foresight to include night vision cameras in the room.

He nodded his head in understanding when Nathan put his arm across Duke. He reached for his phone when he saw Nathan pull Duke closer.

Audrey answered on the first ring, “Everything okay?”

Dwight heard the worry in her voice that she'd tried to hide. “Yeah, so far, so good. Just one punch in the shower,” he chuckled.

“Good. I was afraid they would try to kill each other in there.”

“Audrey, exactly how close are you and Nathan?” Dwight asked. There was no easy way to ask such a question so he'd just dove right in.

“We're partners and friends. You and those two airheads are the best friends I have. The best friends I've ever had. Why are you asking that?”

He took a deep breath and said, “I think there may have been more than just friendship between Duke and Nathan.” He explained in detail the things they'd said and done in the last couple of hours.

“That sure as hell explains a lot,” she said.

“How do you want to proceed here?” Dwight asked, realizing this may be a game changer.

“Maybe I shouldn't go in tomorrow. Maybe another day or two will get them to open up more,” she suggested.

“I agree,” Dwight said. “You take care of Haven. I've got this.”

“Keep me posted, okay? I really want to know more about what their problem is. We can't fix what we don't know is broken.”

“I'll call you tomorrow.” Dwight hung up and sat back. He would get to bed soon, but he needed to be sure Nathan and Duke were out for the night. Fifteen minutes later, Dwight turned the sound to max so he would wake if they did and crawled into the cot near the door.

Five minutes later Dwight was asleep. He missed seeing Nathan kiss Duke's neck before settling back down. Duke's eyes shot open at the feel of Nathan's lips on his neck, but he didn't move. There was a small smile on both their lips as they drifted to sleep.

 

Dwight was awake before Duke and Nathan. He watched as his buddies took breakfast to the men. Nathan and Duke hadn't spoken since they'd woken up. They hadn't spoken anything in two days except directions on functioning as a unit, still bound together. Dwight had finally gotten tired of waiting. Nathan and Duke both struggled as his guys injected them both with truth serum. Of course, neither Duke nor Nathan had any idea what they just been given.

 

“You never told me why,” Duke said.

Nathan looked up from his juice, eyebrows arched in curiosity.

“You never told me why you let me go after the shooting.”

Nathan sat his cup down and sighed. “No choice. DA wouldn't prosecute.”

Duke drank more of his juice. Finally he asked, “Why did you even arrest me, Nathan? You knew even then that I did the right thing.”

Nathan hesitated. He didn't really want to answer that, but for some reason felt he had to. Finally, he said, “I was worried, Duke, worried and terrified. I figured if I could get you convicted and sent to prison then you wouldn't be stuck here fighting the Troubles, tempted every single day to use your own Trouble. I felt guilty enough that I didn't get there in time to stop that kid myself. I didn't want to see you suffer even more.”

Duke raised his hand and started to reach for Nathan's. He stopped himself and put his hand back on the table. “I know you're pissed because I was even there, but I had to go. I was talking with Audrey at Rosemary's when she got the call. She was the closest officer to the scene which meant she wouldn't have immediate backup. I couldn't let her go alone. I never would have forgiven myself if something had happened to her and I wasn't there to try and protect her. I would never have forgiven myself for letting you down by not being there for her.”

“You did the right thing, Duke. I just felt so damned guilty and angry about the whole situation. I took my anger out on you because it was convenient. I'm sorry.”

Duke stared at Nathan. “You've never apologized to me before. For anything.”

“I apologized for arresting you for the murder of Jonas Lester,” Nathan corrected him.

“That doesn't count,” Duke pointed at him and grinned. “I basically blackmailed that one out of you.”

Nathan laughed, “Yeah, but it didn't take much, did it?”

They got quiet as they finished their meal.

“I guess whatever they gave us is wearing off," Nathan said. “ I think it must have been truth serum.”

“That's the only reason you're being honest with me?”

“No, it just makes it a hell of a lot easier.”

 

Larry, Moe, and Curly, as Duke had come to think of them, came to remove the tray. They grabbed the handcuffed arms of their captives as they prepared to administer more injections. Nathan punched one of the men. Another of the men immediately grabbed Duke by the hair and held a knife to his throat.

“Settle down, Wournos. Get that arm on the table and be nice and still.”

Nathan complied. “What do you guys want with us, anyway?” he asked.

“We want to wear you down until you agree to film a porno for us...without having to take Crocker to a damn movie,” the leader replied as the injections were administered. The men left Nathan and Duke alone again.

 

Duke and Nathan moved slowly to the bed they hadn't slept in and sat down, leaning back against the wall.

They were quiet for a long time. Nathan finally asked, “Do you remember that night out at Peggy's Cove?”

Duke smiled. “I'll never forget it. That was the first time we kissed.”

“The last time I asked you that, you said you didn't remember.”

“The last time you asked me that, you were drunk and making passes at everyone in the bar.”

“Fair enough,” Nathan said. “Do you regret it Duke? Any of it?”

Duke turned to face Nathan. “Never.”

“Why did you leave?”

“I couldn't stand it here anymore. I couldn't stand being so near you and not being with you, Nate.”

“Why didn't you tell me that?”

“You said we were over. I cared too much about you to push it. I knew you deserved someone better, and then I saw you with Hannah Driscoll. There was no way I was going to interfere in anything that might bring you happiness.”

“I was a scared kid. I didn't know what it was about you that made my stomach tingle even when I couldn't feel anything else. I couldn't understand why I'd get so furious every time your dad left a bruise on your face. I couldn't understand why I needed you so damned much.”

Nathan swallowed hard before continuing, “It all scared the hell out of me. Then you were gone without a word. I was so pissed that you would leave like that, without even telling me goodbye. When you came back, I started to let myself hope we could work things out and be together again. Then the Coast Guard showed up...and I, I just...”

“There was nothing there, Nathan. Yes, I was importing certain things then, but there was nothing on the boat that day. I would never have jeopardized you that way. It's one thing for me to get caught, but I wouldn't let that happen to you.”

“Why didn't you tell me that?”

“Because I saw the look in your eyes and knew what was coming. I figured it would be easier for you to let go if you hated me. Just for the record, I never threw a punch full strength that day.”

Nathan leaned over and kissed Duke. Duke was startled, but he responded. Then he put his hand on Nathan's chest and pushed him away.

Nathan looked him in the eye, waiting for an explanation.

“This isn't what you really want, Nate,” Duke said softly reaching his hand up to caress Nathan's cheek. “You want Audrey, and we both know it.”

“I don't know how I feel about Audrey. She's my partner and friend.” Nathan looked Duke in the eyes. “I can feel her, Duke. I can feel her touch.”

Duke lowered his head. “I can see why you want her.”

“I do want Audrey, but not like I want you. You're the one who drives me insane. You're the one I dream about at night. You're the one I...” he stopped and lifted Duke's face to his. “You're the one I've always loved.”

Duke kissed Nathan this time. They moved closer together and held each other. Duke broke this kiss and pulled his head back just enough to look Nathan in the eye. “You really still love me?”

“I always will.”

“I love you, Nate,” Duke said and kissed him again.

They kissed until the door opened again. One of the Stooges came in, removed the cuffs and shackles, and left again without a word.

Nathan and Duke hugged each other tight until the next time the door opened.

 

“How long have they been that way?” Audrey asked.

“I called you just as JJ was going down the hall to release their limbs. They hugged when JJ left the room and haven't moved since.” Dwight said. “What do you think?”

She nodded at Dwight wearing a smile on her face.

Dwight turned to his buddies, “Thanks, guys, I think were done here.”

“For you, Dwight, anytime,” JJ said and hugged Dwight. The guys gathered their things and left.

Audrey pulled two sets of clothes from the bag she'd brought with her as Dwight shut everything down.. She turned toward Dwight, “I guess it's time to face the music.”

They walked down the hallway, entered the room where Duke and Nathan were still embracing on the bed, and sat at the table.

“Audrey! What the hell?” Nathan asked.

“You two were behind this?” Duke asked incredulously.

“Nothing else we tried got you two talking,” she grinned.

“What the hell were those injections?” Nathan asked.

“Truth serum,” Dwight answered. “Figured it was time for a little help.”

Audrey tossed them their clothes and Nathan's keys.

“Your Bronco's outside. Feel free to stay a while if you like,” Dwight said. He and Audrey left.

“What the hell just happened here?” Duke asked Nathan.

“I think we just had an intervention,” Nathan said and kissed Duke.


End file.
